


Something Borrowed, Something Blue

by SharkLanceStan



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Ambiguous Illness, But it turned into a fic, He's not, Human Keith (Voltron), Hurt/Comfort, I don't know when I'll update this, I drew art but I have to colour it first, I dunno it was just meant to be cute, I have 2 unfinished fics already, I'm hopeless, Keith is 16, Keith is really sick, Klance content will be nonsexual obviously coz they're kids plus size difference lol, Lance is 15, Lance is a Borrower, Langst, M/M, Secret World of Arietty/ Borrowers AU, Sendak is a cat lol, Shiro is 22, Shiro seems like a dick, Sickfic I guess, This was only meant to be art, Unexplained Parental Absence, broganes, kangst
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-22
Updated: 2018-12-02
Packaged: 2019-08-06 02:15:47
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 16,174
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16379489
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SharkLanceStan/pseuds/SharkLanceStan
Summary: Keith is suffering a terminal illness trapped in a house that he can't escape with his ailing body his eternal prison.Then he meets the little person that lives under his house and everything changes.Borrowers/ Secret World of Arietty AU.Klance AU (PG rated e.g. some language, tiny bit of blood, but nothing dirty)Eventually there will be art.





	1. The Little Man Under the House

**Author's Note:**

> This was meant to be just a cute concept drawing but I got too emotionally invested in the idea and ended up writing a fic chapter instead. I'll probably continue it, but I'm working on my other fic Legends of the Witchpire so I've got to complete that too. Updates will likely happen when they happen.
> 
> Shiro and Keith are stepbrothers in this. Both Keith's parents are dead, Shiro's mother is alive but somewhere unexplained and Shiro is the sole responsible guardian of his little sick brother. Ergo he's under a LOT of stress so if he seems a bit off in this it's because of that.

"There's a tiny man living under the house"  
  
The words were uttered softly, and yet they had all the potency of a shout.   
  
Adam stopped with his fork halfway to his mouth and stared. Shiro's brows came together in concern his dark gray eyes bordering on the hue of slate and storm clouds looking at his little brother with THAT look again.  
  
The look that said he didn't blame Keith for saying something crazy because he was obviously unwell and perhaps he needed to see a doctor again or change his medication or perhaps the stress of the situation was getting to him. That look that said all Shiro saw when he looked at his brother anymore was his illness. He didn't see the boy beneath the terminal diagnosis. He saw only frailty and weakness where the slightest trigger could send the younger boy into a dangerous fever or even give him heart arrhythmia or make it difficult for him to breathe. That the slightest strain would make him collapse and he needed to be wrapped in cotton wool and treated as if he were made of very breakable glass.  
  
Keith was sick of that look. Sick of being pitied. Sick of being... well... SICK. He wanted to be like other kids. To be able to go outside and enjoy the sun and the sights and sounds, to run free and maybe even play sports. He longed for it. And yet it was that exact thing that was entirely forbidden to him.   
  
Because he was sick.  
  
Keith Kogane had been born a frail child. The doctor's couldn't explain it but his immune system was extremely weak to the point that a mild bacterial infection or a cough or cold could be life threatening in him. He had spent the last 16 years of his life imprisoned inside his home, only allowed out of the bedroom to eat in the dining room with his brother and his fiancé before being sent straight up to his room to 'rest' again.  
  
All he did was rest, rest, rest. All day. It was frustrating beyond compare. But the few times he'd tried to escape and go outside on his own he'd invariably always collapsed and had to be rescued by his brother once more, and see his brother looking at him with sorrow and pity and that aggravating sort of guilt that said he wanted Keith to be happy but he wanted him to be alive more and if one contradicted the other he was going to take the path that kept him alive.  
  
All the days blurred together. The seasons mingled from one to the next with only the barest differences. In spring and summer the windows had to be kept shut in case the pollen from the flowers aggravated his breathing. In autumn and winter they were shut to keep the moisture and cold wind out. Subsequently because he could not distract himself with the wonders of the outside world, Keith had become very observant of the goings on inside the house.  
  
The first thing he noticed was that things had begun to go missing. That in itself wasn't too big of a concern. His brother, Adam and himself lived in a large western-style house, with too many rooms, and wooden floorboards. Shiro was always complaining about how many draughts it let in and how hard it was to keep the place sufficiently warm, always glancing anxiously at Keith whenever he said those things, as if Keith was meant to know that he was making everyone's life difficult, not that Shiro would ever say as much because he was too much of a nice guy to ever explicitly blame his brother.  
  
Keith knew though nonetheless. He knew that everyone's life would be easier if he had never been born, or if he had been born like regular kid.  
  
The things continued to go missing though. And they were weird things. Always small. Always things that ordinarily wouldn't be noticed. A button here. A scrap of fabric there. Safety pins. Empty spools of thread. Cubes of sugar especially seemed to disappear with alarming frequency. Adam suspected there were rats at work and started to put down traps which Shiro frowned at, giving his fiancé the lecture about how cruel it was, to which Adam retorted that it wasn't cruel at all, it was a quick death and relatively painless and besides if the traps didn't kill them, the cat would.  
  
The cat had come with the house and as much as everybody wanted rid of it, part of the contract of inheritance of the property from Shiro's elderly great aunt had been that he took care of her precious feline. The cat Keith had decided was Satan incarnate. A large evil-looking persian with grey fur that seemed almost purple in some lights, glowering yellow eyes, one scarred through and cloudy with blindness the other filled with vitriolic loathing for all it stared at. It had only 3 limbs the front right paw amputated after a traffic accident, and yet the horrid beast had survived and continued to haunt the house. It's name was Sendak but Keith called it 'You nasty thing' more often than not.  
  
Keith hoped for the rats' sake they weren't caught by Sendak.  
  
And still the objects continued to disappear.  
  
Then one night Keith saw him.   
  
He had been tossing and turning restlessly. It was late September and the rain and cold had permeated the house with mildew leading to his weak lungs getting infected and another bout of fever, coughing and miserable as he writhed under the sheets alternately burning and freezing. He'd woken from a fever dream and needed water. His mouth parched and sure he would burn to death if he didn't get some sort of fluid inside him. Shiro had told him to stay in bed, and to call if he needed anything, but it was late at night and he knew his brother was either asleep or being intimate with Adam, he didn't want to disturb them.  
  
Standing on wobbly feet he rocked back and forth trying to keep his balance as he staggered towards the bathroom to fetch a glass of water. Turning on the bathroom light he moved giddily towards the sink, reaching for the ceramic tumbler on the shelf above the basin just below the mirror, and movement caught his eye stopping him in his tracks. He could see the silhouette of a small shape behind the shower curtain crouched and working away at something. It didn't look like a mouse or a rat. The shape was too narrow the limbs too long. The figure too... too human. And yet clearly too small to be human.  
  
He blinked a few times wondering if he was still delirious from the fever. Perhaps this was another dream? None the less his desperate curiosity and desire to see SOMETHING other than the same four walls drove him forward, moving as stealthily as he could manage to the shower curtain and pulling it back abruptly.  
  
He and whatever the small figure were let out a shout of shock at the same time. There was a tiny man dressed in blue with oversized buttons stitches and pins holding his miniature clothes together. His brown skin sprinkled with teeny freckles framed by curls of caramel coloured hair, and vivid blue eyes staring up at him with the sort of abject horror and terror that a Japanese person might look at Godzilla in said film. His arms lifted protectively above his head that was small enough that if Keith had squeezed it between his thumb and forefinger he probably could have crushed it. Not that he would ever do any such thing.  
  
Keith blinked a few times and murmured aloud "I'm hallucinating".   
  
The little man who had been trembling head to toe as if he expected Keith to kill him, started backing up along the rim of the bath where he'd been perched apparently working on scraping off bits of soap with a tiny knife made from a shard of mirror. He seemed to be murmuring to himself fervently and his voice which Keith expected to be squeaky was actually a normal pitch, not even that quiet for such a small being.   
  
"Madre mia! They told me not to come! I'm going to die! Voy a morir!" he was babbling switching back and forth between two different tongues as he pressed himself flat against the bathroom tiles as if hoping he could blend into them and disappear from sight.  
  
Keith perched on the toilet and regarded the little guy with confusion. Well he was probably a figment of his imagination but nonetheless he looked really scared and Keith wanted to reassure him somehow. He wasn't sure why.   
  
"It's okay. I won't hurt you" he commented as softly as he could, though apparently it was still loud and booming to the little man below... err... make that little boy. He looked too young to be a man. He seemed closer to Keith's age in fact.   
  
"I'm Keith. What's your name?" he tried, trying to be conversational and get the other small being out of his state of fear. He felt insane talking to a tiny person in his bathroom in the middle of the night, but hey it was more interesting than anything else that had happened to him lately!  
  
The small brown-skinned boy didn't move, still remaining pinned against the wall, hands clasped over his mouth now as if he had broken some great taboo by speaking and being heard by Keith. Keith sighed shoulders drooping despondently and head falling forward so his dark locks fell in his face   
  
"It's fine I guess if you won't talk to me. I wouldn't want to talk to me either, if I had a choice not to" he commented softly giving a little shiver. The bathroom was chilly and he knew he shouldn't stay in here long or he'd only make himself worse and then Shiro would make that put-upon face again. He rose from the toilet seat and made to go.  
  
"Lance"  
  
The voice piped up having a slightly lilting accent to it, almost musical. It was a nice sounding voice. It didn't sound mean, or dulled with seriousness and responsibility. It sounded alive.  
  
He turned to look at the little person, who had cautiously peeled away from the wall to perch by the bar of soap trying to work his knife free. He spoke again, Keith watching his lips move in fascination at how something that small functioned so precisely   
  
"I'm Lance" he repeated, blue eyes regarding Keith nervously "I'm not supposed to talk to humans. Humans try to kill us. Humans aren't safe. It's what we're always taught. But you don't seem that bad..."  
  
Keith snorted softly "You just met me. How do you know what I'm like?" he asked with humour in his voice.   
  
Lance considered this before replying "Well I've seen you before. When I'm collecting things. You're always in bed and you seem like you're in pain a lot. I thought it was a shame even if you're a human, that you have to suffer" the blue eyes in spite of being so small were penetrating, seeming to have a power that held Keith rigid as he looked at them, such heart-felt sincerity in the little brown face that he averted his gaze, frowning and muttering bitterly   
  
"I don't need anyone else's pity. I've got enough"  
  
This created an awkward silence for some minutes, neither knowing how to continue the conversation. Keith shivered again. But he didn't want to go back to bed yet. Just a little longer. "So... are you some sort of fairy?..." he commented. The little person snorted indignantly turning around and jerking a small thumb at his back that was devoid of certain characteristics   
  
"Do you see any wings? Any glitter? A magic wand? No",    
  
"Then a leprechaun?" ,   
  
"Oh sure, let me just fetch my pot of gold..." ,   
  
"You don't have to be sarcastic..."  
  
"Ask a stupid question..."  
  
"Maybe you're a goblin. You steal things like one",  
  
"Rude! I don't steal. I BORROW. There's a difference!"  
  
"Is there?"  
  
"Yes. Borrowers only take that which won't be missed or can be replaced. And when we move on we always leave compensation"  
  
"Is that what you are then? A Borrower?"  
  
Lance paused the look on his face saying he was inwardly kicking himself for spilling the beans. He wasn't even meant to be SEEN by humans, much less talk to them and even further less tell them about Borrower-kind and their history and cultural ways!  
  
"Yes, but please don't tell anyone! If the others discovered I'd told you...." he frowned looking guilty and worried, small brows coming together.  
  
Keith didn't mention that he was pretty much convinced he was dreaming or hallucinating so he nodded simply in response not expecting he'd have to adhere to the promises he made to figments of his imagination. Lance was clearly the product of eating strange food before bed. It was the last time he would let Shiro cook for them.  
  
He stifled a yawn and shivered again pulling his pajamas closer around himself "Okay... Lance... I'm going to go back to bed now. So you can continue doing whatever it was you were doing to my soap before I interrupted. Have a nice night" he remarked sleepily, the need to rest having won out over his curiosity about the little person for the time being.  
  
Lance snorted softly. He should be offended that he was basically getting the brush off by a human, but it was probably a good thing if they went back to bed. Maybe they'd forget about meeting him in the morning and he wouldn't have to worry about betraying his family's secrecy and safety...  
  
"Goodnight Keith, sweet dreams" he replied gently, seeing the tall human pause in the doorway for a second before some of the tenseness melting from his posture as if somehow the words had comforted him. When he'd fallen back into bed he'd slept peacefully for the rest of the night.  
  
It wasn't until the next morning and he'd risen to brush his teeth in the bathroom that he'd seen the little scrapings in the bar of soap and did a double-take remembering the bizarre 'dream' from the night before. Had that been real?  
  
Ultimately this had lead to this moment sitting at the breakfast table with his brother and Adam  
  
"There's a tiny man living under the house"  
  
And his brother was looking at him like he was clinically insane and would need to be put in a straitjacket and sent to the nearest asylum.


	2. Friends in Unexpected Places

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith has an arguement with Shiro about his sickness and storms off, whilst sulking he hears Sendak attacking Lance and tries to defend him.
> 
>  
> 
> TW: Some cusswords here. A little bit of animal cruelty but tbh Sendak deserves it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm still working on colouring the art work so I can't upload it yet, but eventually it will be here. Enjoy a fluffy chapter with some platonic Klance cuteness.

Keith was lucky to evade Shiro's probing after his failed attempt at telling his elder brother and his fiance about Lance. He'd meant it seriously, but when Shiro had started questioning him about how he felt and how much sleep he was getting and whether the room was too cold for him etc, he had backpedaled in a panic and blurted out that he was only joking.  
  
Shiro had paused for a minute looking at Keith skeptically knowing he was not the type to make wisecracks that often. Keith tried to school his features into the most earnest and innocent face he could make. Adam seemed to fall for it and laughed snorting a little and choking on his scrambled eggs "Who knew the kid had a sense of humour! Weird one though. Little people under the house indeed... HA!"  
  
Shiro sighed patting Adam on the back and then turning to Keith "Try not to turn ALL my hair white before my old age little brother!" he commented, but the LOOK was gone. The one that said he wanted to take Keith to a doctor immediately and remove even more of his freedom.  
  
So telling others was out. And now that he remembered it, he'd actually promised Lance he wouldn't, so it was probably a good thing that his brother hadn't believed him. He imagined Shiro only seeing their tiny tenant as a potential danger spreading germs and putting Keith at risk and he'd be uprooted and moved out of here before he could blink  
  
He pushed his half-finished plate aside, seeing Shiro's gaze narrow at the fact he hadn't eaten much, and looking up at his face as if trying to gauge whether this was a symptom of sickness or not. Keith tried to redirect the conversation before he could ask anything like that  
  
"So I heard there's some sort of market and festival in the town this weekend..." he began conversationally. Shiro's eyes sharpened looking to Adam accusatorially, the blond holding his hands up defensively "Wasn't me" he mumbled. Shiro looked to Keith "Where did you hear this?" , "Um a flier was pushed through our letterbox?" Keith inquired already feeling the impending doom of continuing this conversation. He already knew Shiro's answer. Still he was a glutton for punishment and pressed on with his question anyway...  
  
"So I was just wondering if maybe...." , "No" , "But Shiro..." , "No buts Keith. You know what the cold weather does to you, the dust in the air, the smell and pollution! You'll get sick again! It's absolutely not happening!" Shiro shut him down just as he expected and he felt a sinking drowning feeling as his heart slunk right back down to his feet again. Every damn time this happened. He hated that his brother doubled as his prison warden.  
  
Pushing his chair back abruptly he stood "Sure just cancel everything in my life why don't you. Why not just handcuff me to the bed and totally remove all my freedom. I'm sure it'll make dealing with your inconvenience of a little brother more bearable for you!" he snarled, hating the anger in his voice, not wanting to hurt Shiro, knowing he said and did these things because he was concerned and didn't want his brother to die. But he was so fucking sick of this bullshit day after day.  
  
He didn't wait for Shiro's reaction, didn't wait to see him recoil in pain, with that betrayed look in his eyes. He just spun on his heel and ran out of the room and up the stairs to his room, collapsing on the bed. Running had been a bad idea and now his chest was burning, breath coming in deep whooping gasps and coughs, sobbing as well as hot tears slid from his eyes, curling miserably into a fetal ball. He hated it! He hated this life! What was the point of even existing if you couldn't do ANYTHING?!  
  
It took him 20 minutes of trying to calm his breathing with regulated patterns before he could stop hyperventilating and his chest still ached afterwards as a reminder that he could never run from this sickness life had decided to dump on him. He could never escape. It would always be the monkey on his back weighing him down and crushing his hopes of being free and independent. Afterwards he just felt tired and that annoyed him too. He'd literally just woken up and barely made it through breakfast and his body wanted to sleep already!  
  
Before he could settle down to the inevitable however he heard a low feline growl out in the hall. Sendak must be prowling out there again. Stupid cat. He rolled to face away from the door and closed his eyes, then heard a smallish but still audible voice say "N-Nice... nice Kitty... you don't want me... I'm all bones... I won't taste good!". Shit! Lance!   
  
Keith was on his feet again and stumbling for the door just as he heard Sendak yowl, flinging open his bedroom door as the huge furry beast lunged at something down the hallway, crashing into the skirting board where presumably Lance had dived for cover, single remaining front paw swiping deadly claws into the mouse-hole there. Hissing and snarling. Keith started forward, but hesitated. He couldn't yell at the cat because Shiro would hear and wonder what he was doing and he didn't need him coming up and potentially spotting Lance.  
  
He grabbed a book from a nearby shelf and aimed instead throwing it so the corner bonked off the cats head. Sendak hissed but didn't stop his attempts to get at Lance. Keith sighed. He had no other choice. He tackled the cat by the scruff of the neck and tried to fling it down the hall. Normally he'd never be so cruel to an animal but with a creature like Sendak there wasn't a whole lot of other options to prevent him murdering something once he had its scent. As he picked up the cat it slashed its claws down his cheek leaving a bloody trail, he felt less guilty about throwing it after that.  
  
Once the cat had been successfully yeeted down the hallway, he reached into the mouse-hole, hurriedly whispering "He'll be back. Quick you need to move. Come with me..." trying to ignore the blood beading on the scratch and dripping down his face plopping onto his pajamas. Lance was hesitant at first, obviously petrified stiff but eventually he emerged grabbing hold of Keith's hand and sitting in the palm as the larger human lifted him depositing him in his pocket quickly as footsteps came up the stairs  
  
"Keith? What's going on? I heard a lot of banging and Sendak yowling..." Shiro began and his eyes widened as he saw the gash on Keith's face "What happened?!". Keith swallowed hard, eyes darting anxiously to his pocket but it seemed Lance was actually being successfully stealthy for once and had curled up as small and tight as possible in the pocket to remain unnoticed. The boy exhaled "Sendak was trying to kill a mouse, I wanted to give it a fighting chance so I tried to get him away" he explained opting for a half truth. It hadn't been a mouse but Shiro didn't need to know that.  
  
His brother frowned examining the wound "You shouldn't have interfered. You should have called me and Adam..." he was scolding "There wasn't time, he would have ripped its head off by the time you got up here" , "Thank you for that disgusting visual image..." Shiro winced and put his arm on Keith's shoulder "Lets get this wound looked at"  , "I can handle it Shiro. There's disinfectant in the bathroom. It's just a scratch..." Keith's gaze was determinedly defiant and perhaps in echo of the argument this morning Shiro flinched, averting his gray eyes "Keith... you know I'm only trying to do what's best for you, right?" he sighed  
  
Keith sighed also guiltily not wanting to upset his brother no matter how infuriating he could be. He knew he loved him still. He replied "I know Shiro, but please. Let me handle this. I want to do the things I can do for myself. Let me have that at least...". Shiro swallowed and nodded "Okay... but if you start feeling sick or think it might be infected please tell me right away, god alone knows the horrible things that cat gets his claws into..."  
  
Keith nodded and Shiro went away and he went back into his room and collapsed again exhausted by all the drama. He remembered Lance and opened his pocket, calling gently "It's safe to come out now... he's gone..."  
  
Lance uncurled awkwardly, wearing a peculiar deep pink smudge across his brown cheeks. His bright blue eyes went to Keith's face, taking in the bloody scratch and reaching out a small hand to it automatically. Keith instinctively flinched and the hand drew back, the small boy's head dropping forward guiltily "I'm sorry... it's my fault you got hurt... because I was careless... I.... I heard you crying when I was trying to borrow something, and it distracted me... and I fell and that monster found me" he explained clambering out of Keith's pocket and onto his proffered hand, being guided down to the bedside table where he perched tiny legs dangling over the edge to watch the human. Keith was mopping up the blood with a handkerchief.  
  
Lance's expression was both guilty and anxious still wearing the pink smudge "You saved my life... thank you Keith..." he remarked coyly, averting his gaze down at his teeny hands. Keith sighed reaching out a fingertip awkwardly to rub the soft brown hair atop the little being's head "Don't feel bad about me okay. Being hurt and sick is part of my life. It's just the way I am. I'd rather endure a little scratch than have that devil-beast eat you"  
  
The pink smudge darkened and the small head snapped up blue eyes watching him in a stunned expression "Really? Humans usually don't care about us Borrowers dying... My family warned me so much about how cruel and barbaric humans are... but you're nothing like the tales said. You're really nice. I've always wanted to have a friend outside of my family. I mean I love all my siblings and my Mama and Papa and Abuela but... it's nice to have someone who chooses to be with you instead of having to get along because we're family. You know?"  
  
Keith laughed at that "Believe me I get that. I just have my older brother and his partner and I don't exactly hate them but they don't understand how frustrating it is to be a kid with no contact with the outside world. Sometimes you just feel so... so...."  , "Trapped?" the small voice supplied and Keith nodded fervently "Exactly! I love Shiro but I hate that he keeps me prisoner in this house. I know it's not his fault, it's my fault for being sick but... it's horrible feeling so helpless". Now Keith was blushing too, he'd never been this candid with anyone before. He normally kept all his feelings bottled up until they exploded like a fiery volcano as evidenced by his tirade at breakfast this morning. He still had to apologize to Shiro for that.  
  
Lance nodded "Mama and Papa and my older siblings are the same. They say so many times 'Don't be careless Lance. Don't let the humans see you Lance. You must remain safe and invisible inside the walls or under the floors Lance'. And I understand why because I know what happens to careless Borrowers but... I still want to be free. I want to see the human world. I want to explore and know things. I'm curious I can't help myself" he commented, glancing up at Keith coyly "For my part I'm glad I was caught thought... I made a good friend"  
  
"F-Friend?" Keith stopped his ministrations on the cut and blinked at the little being sat on his bedside table turning redder "You want to be my friend?" he spoke in a small voice as if he couldn't believe it could be true. Lance nodded with a bright smile "Of course! I think this would be best for both of us. I can go to the outside world so I could bring things to show you... and you can tell me about the human world. It's the best of both worlds and we both stay safe like our families want" he held out a tiny brown fist "Do we have a deal?"  
  
Keith wiped away the moisture beading in his lashes which was definitely NOT tears and reached his fingertip to bump against the little fist "Deal" he laughed, feeling a warmth and softness in his chest he hadn't felt for a very long time. A happiness that suffused his tired aching body with peace. His little friend, the Borrower.


	3. The Whims of Fate

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith gets some good news and feels very happy but then tragedy strikes and Lance is injured. Will he ever see his little friend again?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this chapter starts off pure fluff and I really wanted to maintain that throughout but you know I'm just an evil angst gremlin who has to spoil things with her b/s so yeah. Sendak gets his vengeance on Lance! Bad cat! 
> 
> Fingers crossed Lance's family let him return!
> 
> Lots of Brogane bonding this chapter too. I wanted to make up for previous chapters where their relationship had been a little strained and I hope I was successful. I'm soft for brothers caring for each other in a familial way.
> 
> I need to have Adam do a little more in future chapters I think. I'm shockingly bad at writing for him. 
> 
> Btw if Keith seems massively OOC it should be borne in mind that he is much weaker and has had a different upbringing than the canon Keith. He's a young poorly little kid. He hasn't had much opportunity to learn to stand on his own two feet and he doesn't have the history of fending for himself or getting into fights like our little Garrison dropout. He's been coddled since birth because of his illness so naturally he's going to be much softer.

Keith hadn't been expecting his good mood from bonding with Lance to be further increased when Shiro tentatively knocked on his door. His brother was wearing an expression he hadn't seen on his face for a long time, a sheepishly hopeful one as if he had planned something good and wanted to surprise his brother. He quirked a dark brow at his brother's expression before folding his arms and remarking "You're up to something" in a suspicious tone that was usually used by Shiro's mother, his adoptive mother when she was home from work.  
  
Shiro sighed and deflated a little like a puppy that's had the frisbee taken off it "That obvious huh?" he inquired raising his brows in return with a 'Scheming? Moi?' look of butter not melting in his mouth, on his face. Keith nodded, hiding his desire to smirk because he'd missed these sorts of playful interactions with his brother who was always too anxious and too serious.  
  
"Well, I suppose I'd best tell you. Now don't go getting too excited but.... Adam and I have been discussing you wanting to go to this town festival..." Shiro began. Keith blinked and for a minute lost his ability to hear or register what Shiro was saying because his brain just internally squeed so loud he couldn't process anything else. He tuned back in when Shiro was talking about making sure Keith was definitely well enough and he leaned forward to grab his brother's burly biceps with a manic look on his face "ExcusemeI'mhavingamentalbreakdownrightnowwouldyoupleaserepeatthat??!" he blurted  
  
Shiro looking fairly startled by just how manic his brother's reaction was he said "I said if we wrapped you up warm and put a flu mask on MAYBE we could let you see the sights for an hour or two. Not all night. Just a tiny trip...".  
  
Keith yelled and pumped his fist and started jumping up and down with far too much energy for someone who was terminally ill. He babbled strings of nonsense and hugged Shiro and squeaked "THANK YOU!" whilst waving his hands in little excited circles and honestly Shiro's heart just melted. His brother was so happy for once and that just made him happy.  
  
"You're getting too excited so you better calm down before you make yourself exhausted and get ill and spoil your own plans" he warned him, and that immediately sobered the boy who stopped bouncing but was still wearing the softest biggest smile he'd ever seen on his flushed cheeks "Shiro I take back everything I said, you're the best"  
  
Shiro made an 'Aww' face and pinched his brother's cheeks "Well, I guess I'm soft for making you happy. But this is a trial run okay. And I'm still not 100% convinced it will work out. So be on your best behaviour and prove me wrong" he grinned back before adding "Now wash up and come down to dinner" and went on his way down the stairs, Keith's infectious happiness having transferred to his tired stressed strained features, so he was smiling and humming to himself as he left.  
  
Keith hurried back into the bedroom and plonked himself on the bed and grabbed a pillow and shrieked into it like an excited teenage girl at their first boyband concert and flopped back on the bed hugging the pillow. He felt giddy with happiness. Perhaps fate was finally going easy on him and letting him have an okay day? Or perhaps a certain little Borrower was a good luck charm!  
  
Remembering Lance he sat up calling out softly "Laaaaaaaance. If you can hear me come out!". There was a scurrying sound behind the woodwork of his room and a familiar tiny brown face popped up from the top of the wardrobe adjacent to his bed, looking down at him  
  
"Keith! Are you okay? Did something happen?" his voice carried worriedly, bright blue eyes focused on the bigger human boy searching him for some sign of harm or injury  
  
"I'm fine Lance. Better than fine. Come down and I'll tell you about it" Keith called back with a bright smile  
  
Seeing the dazzling expression on the human boy caused the return of the pink smudge in force and Lance excited to get closer to such a beautiful thing, removed his cape, holding it like a parachute and leapt from the top of the wardrobe. Keith hadn't been expecting that and dived forward to catch the small boy who floated down onto the bed, landing with a soft flump on his back on the covers and giggling with a tiny grin that matched Keith's  
  
"I'm fine, I'm fine. Now tell me this news that's got you so excited. Did you see something good? Spill the beans!" Lance remarked, sitting up and giggling again as Keith sat on the bed and the resulting spring-back of the mattress caused him to be bounced a couple of feet into the air. Keith caught him in his hands and deposited him on his shoulder  
  
"Shiro... that's my brother... he.... he said he might let me go outside if I'm well enough" Keith remarked, now that he was uttering it realising what a huge deal it was for his brother and how much was being put on the line and risked just to make him happy. It made his heart swell with even more love and pride for the older male  
  
Lance leaned forward his small face a picture of surprise, little mouth round as the letter O. "You're kidding me! That's fantastic news Keith! I'm so happy for you! You don't get to go outside much, so I'm sure you're really excited. I remember the first time my family let me join an outside expedition and it was terrifying but also amazing. Pretty dangerous though and my Papa hurt his leg on the trip and had to rest it and not do any Borrowing for almost 2 months! It was very stressful for the family" he was babbling and telling Keith all about his experiences outside and Keith was beaming until his cheeks hurt.  
  
It wasn't until he heard Adam banging on his door that he remembered he'd forgotten all about dinner in his excitement and he hurriedly stowed Lance away out of sight under a pillow as the blonde male entered the room looking around with suspicion and confusion "I heard talking... were you on the phone?  No wait... you don't have a mobile phone, Shiro banned them because of possible radiation..." he frowned.  
  
Keith put his best 'dumb kid' expression on and rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly "Ah sorry, I was just rehearsing what I'd tell Mom when she came back" he lied. Adam frowned again "I heard you mention a Lance?" he replied doubtfully. Keith's brow grew sweatier. Why did his brother's lover have to ask so many questions? "Ah yeah a lance like a knight would have. Because Shiro is a knight in shining armor and saved me from death by boredom" he fumbled. That caused Adam's expression to finally lighten and he laughed "Yeah Sir Dorkalot. And he wants you to come down to the Round Table for dinner so you'd best move it" and with that he was turning to go again.  
  
When Adam was safely out of the room he retrieved Lance "Sorry I better go and show my face or they won't get off my case. I'll try and bring you something good back" he told the little Borrower. Lance nodded "Okay! I'll hide until you get back" and with that Keith made it down stairs to dinner. He still didn't have a lot of appetite because he was too excited to properly digest his food. None the less he was chatty and animated enough that he seemed to put his brother's watchful eyes at ease and was promptly allowed back upstairs.  
  
Snagging some little cupcakes that an elderly neighbour had apparently brought around in her attempts to dote upon and fuss over the house of 'poor young boys without a mother figure', he climbed the stairs two at a time.  
  
His bedroom door was open.  
  
Had he left it like that? He must have done in his excitement. He walked in talking as he entered, careful to be sure neither his brother or Adam were listening this time "Sorry about the delay Lance, Shiro was chatting to me about stuff. I brought you something good to eat..."  
  
He stopped dead.  
  
Sendak was in the bedroom.  
  
Sendak was sitting smugly on his bed licking blood from his claws, he raised his head his glowering yellow eyes, one misted over, one infernally bright wearing an expression like the cat that had got the cream. Or in this case the cat that had gotten the Borrower.  
  
Keith's body froze suffusing with horror "No...." leaving his lips weakly. "No please... anything but that....". He lunged for the cat with fury etched on his features "You devil monster! If you've hurt him!"  
  
Just then he heard a weak "Keeeiiiithhhh" coming from his bedside table. The top drawer was open a crack and he could see a trail of blood from the covers to the top of the table to the edge of the drawer. He immediately booted Sendak out of the room and locked the door, rushing back to pull open the drawer.  
  
Lance was alive. Oh thank god. Lance was alive. But Sendak had clearly hurt him. His clothes were ripped up by claws and his leg was bloody bearing the marks of feline fangs. He was lying on his side like an ailing animal in pain and his blue eyes were scrunched, brown face several shades paler in stress and agony. Clearly he'd only just managed to survive being eaten by rolling inside the gap of the drawer where Sendak couldn't access him. The brute had been smugly waiting for him to emerge to finish off the job.  
  
Keith forgot about the cake which he'd dropped upon seeing Sendak and moved to try and lift Lance. But trying to move his little friend caused more blood to ooze from the wound and a thin keening wail of pain to rise from the little being.  
  
This was bad. This was really bad. Lance was hurt and Keith didn't know what to do. He was panicking a little bit. Trying to ease the other more gently into the palm of his hand he moved him into the bathroom carefully like he was handling something really fragile, which in essence he was.  
  
Okay wounds. He knew how to dress wounds. Just calm down and think Keith. He lay Lance down on top of the toilet seat and got some cotton wool buds soaking them in warm water to try and clean the blood off first of all, then replacing those with disinfected ones to prevent infection. Lance had tried weakly to assist him by removing some of the clothing on his leg, wincing in pain at any movement of the limb. At least now Keith had bare brown flesh to work with though instead of cloth binding. He put a sticky band aid over the wound then splinted it with toothpicks breaking off the sharp tips and securing them with more band-aids until he had a workable leg splint.  
  
Lance was still in shock and pain though, and he seemed really sleepy which was making Keith panic more "Lance... Lance hey you can't go to sleep alright?" he was telling him, getting panicky and upset himself which was causing him to hyperventilate. If he didn't stop stressing out he would get sick again. But Lance was hurt and that meant being anxious wasn't really a choice at this juncture.  
  
He started to babble telling Lance anything and everything he could to get the little Borrower to reply, trying to keep the tremor out of his voice, blinking through the tears that blurred his vision knowing this was his fault. He'd been careless. He'd left the door open. He'd let Lance get too familiar with being around him so he hadn't been cautious enough. If things didn't change he was going to end up being the death of the little being.  
  
It was the tears streaking the human's face that finally got Lance's attention and a small trembling hand rose to touch Keith's face "Don't cry... you're too.... too pretty to cry..." he remarked sounding dazed and half out of it, slurring his words slightly because he was in pain.  
  
In another circumstance Keith would have blushed at the compliment, not used to being admired for his looks, more accustomed to people telling him he looked sick and commenting on his sallow skin and other unattractive features. He sniffed and wiped at his eyes "I'll stop crying if you promise not to die on me" he remarked tremulously  
  
Lance nodded slowly "Okay... hurts though... I'd feel better if it didn't hurt...". Keith thought carefully. If he was hurt he normally took painkillers. But he wasn't sure it was safe to give human painkillers to a Borrower, there was such a size difference that one pill would probably overdose and kill him. What about crushing it and adding a few crumbs to a tiny bit of water? No. Still too risky. He didn't know if Borrowers and Humans were biologically alike on the inside. What if there was more than just the size difference? What if Lance was entirely alien on the inside?  
  
He sighed "I'm sorry Lance, I really don't know what to do. I can't give you my medicine it might be too strong for you and hurt you". Lance sighed "I'll have to... go back home... and there'll be trouble... I'll try not to let them know about you... but I can't make any promises... if they find out I might not be allowed to the surface again".  
  
Keith bit his lip, upset by the words he was being told. He'd just made his first friend and now he might lose him for good? But if it kept Lance safe and alive he supposed he was willing to make that sacrifice. Clenching his free hand into a fist he nodded "Okay... if they can help you... tell me what to do"  
  
Lance instructed him to take him to the mouse-hole in the hallway he'd been hiding in before. There was a family of mice living in there that were friendly with the Borrowers and would take him back to his family. He paused at the entrance to the hole, able to sit up weakly now, but having to shuffle on his butt to move because of his immobile leg which couldn't support his weight at all. He rapped on the skirting board 3 times and a small rodent head popped out. It saw Keith and squeaked in terror immediately diving back inside    
  
"No! It's okay... it's safe. Keith is safe. He's a nice human" Lance explained. The mouse reemerged cautiously standing on it's hind legs and looking at the human suspiciously whiskered face twitching. Gradually 3 more mice popped up one was large and fat and probably the main culprit of missing food in the kitchen. Keith was honestly surprised Sendak hadn't got him yet.  
  
"This is Chulatt, Platt, Plachu and Chuchule" Lance introduced with a weak smile. Keith blinked trying not to think about how weird it was to be introduced to a bunch of mice. He was having a conversation with a tiny man that lived under the floorboards after all. This was just an average day in the weirdness! "Umm... nice to meet you all?" he commented. Lance smiled "If you have any urgent message for me whilst I'm gone just leave it in this hole and the mice will take it to me. I'll try and send replies back but with that cat lurking it's risky so they might not be too frequent"  
  
Keith nodded watching as Lance climbed onto the back of the largest mouse with some awkwardness and raised a small hand to wave farewell to his human friend both hoping and praying it wouldn't be for the last time. Keith knew Lance would get help with his family but hopefully they didn't ask too many questions and wouldn't prevent him returning to the surface!  
  
When the contingent of mice with their invalid Borrower friend had disappeared from his sight he sat back against the skirting board suddenly feeling utterly exhausted and understanding now how Shiro felt every time he got ill. That panic and helplessness of being unable to do anything to prevent the pain  
  
He heard a creak on the stairs and saw Shiro emerging up them. His brother took one look at his younger sibling sitting on the floor looking distressed and nearly had a heart-attack running over to him "Keith! What's wrong? Did something happen? Do you feel alright? Are you getting sick again?" he fretted, looking at Keith's damp tear-streaked face and his unhappy eyes. What had happened? His brother had been full of happiness and energy earlier!  
  
Keith merely leaned forward having no energy to explain himself and rested his forehead against Shiro's steady solid shoulder and started to cry, releasing all his fears and anxieties in one go. Shiro frowned in concern but wrapped strong arms around the smaller frame, comforting and rocking his little brother murmuring "I don't know what's gotten you so upset, but it's going to be okay now. Whatever it is I'm here. I'll help you"  
  
Keith hiccuped and lifted his head "Sorry, it's not fair... I put so much pressure on you. I yell at you just for worrying about me... and it's not fair... it's not fair..." he whispered. Shiro's heart broke "Keith it's okay I'm your brother, I'll never resent you for needing help. You can tell me anything. Do you want to explain why you're crying?" he was reaching into his pocket for a handkerchief to dab at the tears and snot, and of course he was always prepared. Always dependable. But Keith couldn't tell him. Couldn't break the bond of trust about something this big. Not even for his brother. Especially not for his brother. Shiro wouldn't understand at all. Just like Lance's family. They had very rigid views on the matter.  
  
He shook his head "Can't.... sorry... want to but... can't" he hiccuped. Shiro sighed, looking slightly hurt that his brother wouldn't open up to him on this when he only wanted to help him, but he understood that teenagers were awkward creatures and needed to have some secrets to themselves "Well as long as you're not doing anything dangerous, I guess I can let it remain a secret for now. But lets get you up and back to bed. Sitting in this cold hallway is going to make you poorly again"  
  
Shiro helped Keith to his feet and guided him back to bed, promising to bring him something warm to drink and Keith was alone with his thoughts once more. He curled up under the covers and sighed, hoping and praying that Lance would be alright, that he'd get to see him again. He wouldn't be able to properly relax until his small friend was back at his side again, though he didn't really understand how their bond had gotten so strong over such a short period of time.  
  
Remembering Lance's words again "Don't cry, you're too pretty to cry" he felt warmth suffuse his cheeks, not really understanding his own heart yet, but knowing hearing words like that made him feel comforted. Made him feel peaceful once more.


	4. Recovery & Pining

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lance returns home and slowly recovers from his injuries but meanwhile Keith's health takes a turn for the worse prompting Shiro to become more worried for his little brother.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor Keith :( He really doesn't get a break in this fic does he? Not even the nice festival trip could cheer him up! Hopefully Lance gets back to him soon!

****As soon as Lance neared his family's home he made Platt stop and awkwardly removed the binding that Keith had put on him. It wasn't that he wasn't grateful for the ministrations the human boy had done for him, but if his family saw them they would only be suspicious about when and how he had received treatment so he would have to undo the work and endure any pain so as to make the injury seem as fresh as possible. Unpeeling the sticky band-aid was the worst because it tore at the wound and made fresh blood seep forward, gritting his tiny teeth he continued removing the splints so the limb was unsupported. Gods it was painful!  
  
He concealed the dirty bindings meaning to return and properly dispose of them later, then tried to climb back on Platt's back, but his leg wouldn't move now, flapping loose without the splints and possibly broken from that damn cats jaws. If it was he was really going to be in trouble!  
  
Platt lifted him in his rodent incisors and hefted the Borrower onto his back and they continued the rest of the way, Lance's consciousness fading in and out from pain. When they finally arrived his father was outside, preparing a party to go and find Lance because he'd been missing so long. They exclaimed in dismay upon seeing their youngest family member injured in such a severe way. The last thing Lance was aware of was his mother calling out his name and then consciousness swept away from him in a dizzying darkening blur that fell into blackness.  
  


* * *

  
  
  
Keith on the surface was trying his best not to worry Shiro, but he was utterly despondent without Lance. And the older male couldn't understand. Keith had been unhappy and blatantly lonely for most of his childhood, but this was a different kind of unhappiness. This was not the loneliness of someone who has never had a friend, but rather the pining of someone who missed someone and wanted them back desperately. Shiro could recognize the signs because there had been a time when Adam and he had been separated when they were younger and they'd thought they would never be reunited again. Thankfully the fates had seen their way to be kind to them and they'd met again and immediately moved in together not ever wanting to be parted again.  
  
But who could his little brother have met that he missed so much? He didn't go outside, and there were no computers or phones in the house except the standard kind. Keith couldn't meet anyone. But then why had he found him twice sitting in the upstairs hallway looking distressed? One time after having fought Sendak and gotten scratched and the second time with a haunted look on his face and tears in his eyes. Adam too had mentioned a couple of times that he'd heard Keith speak to someone in his room, and there had been the supposed 'joke' about a little person living under the house....  
  
Either his brother had finally gone insane and invented an imaginary friend for himself, or there was something extremely weird going on in this place... Shiro didn't know what, but he didn't want to pressurize his brother to tell him, and tried his best to change the topic and cheer him up.  
  
They went on their trip to the festival but it seemed Keith barely saw the bright lights and decorations, the coloured market stalls, the smells and sounds falling on muted and dead senses. Shiro took Keith home and put him to bed and kept worrying. He stroked the dark bangs from his brothers pallid brow and murmured "Hold in there little bro, I don't know what has you so upset but... I'm sure it'll get better soon, keep your chin up" he uttered softly. Keith trembled looking for all the world like he wanted to spill the beans and tell Shiro everything, but he bit his lip and repressed that urge, keeping the painful secret whatever it was.   
  
Shiro stayed with him until he fell into a troubled exhausted sleep. He knew his brother hadn't been sleeping properly and in addition he'd been off his food and if it continued his already weak immune system was only going to get weaker and he'd be at much greater risk of illness. As he stepped from his brother's room, he looked down the hall glancing at the small mouse-hole set in the skirting board seemingly innocuously. He approached it, crouching to try and get a closer look. He couldn't see anything but he could smell the odour of animals and something else. Keith had been found here twice, both times evidently after something had happened.  
  
Shiro sighed and closed his eyes, murmuring "If there truly is someone living down there.... please come back. Keith needs you" he whispered before rising and heading unhappily down the stairs. When the large human was gone from sight, a small slender mouse's head poked out and gave a questioning squeak before dipping back inside.  
  


* * *

  
  
  
Consciousness returned to Lance in a similar haze to the way it had escaped him. He was bed bound, the piece of furniture made from a large empty box of cooking matches, one of the huge boxes that chefs used, easily as big as a sardine tin and strong enough to support Lance's weight. It was dressed in old handkerchiefs as bed-linens with a disused pincushion minus its pins for a pillow. Lance's leg had been rebound in a fashion more typical of Borrowers and elevated on a pair of dice glued together to prevent them tumbling apart. He felt awful.  
  
His youngest sister Rachel was on watch and she wagged her finger at him in a mimicry of their mother "You see? You were told not to keep venturing to the surface so much or for so long, and look what happened? That demon cat got you! If you weren't so fragile and sick right now Papa and Mama would tan your backside until you couldn't sit!" she exclaimed pushing her curls out of her eyes and frowning at her brother with a mixture of frustration and worry.  
  
Lance huffed in response, trying to say he knew what he was doing but it came out tired and slurred and he could feel his face was warm. Rachel tutted and shook her head "You have a fever because your wound was open and exposed in dirty tunnels and got infected" she commented as if that should have been obvious. Lance almost protested that it had been disinfected so that shouldn't have happened, but he stopped himself thankfully at the last second from making a critical error in his sickness-addled state. An error that would have cost him everything!  
  
He spent the next few weeks resting and being alternately scolded and lectured by almost every one of his relatives except his Abuelo. The elderly Borrower man, father of his father only sat beside him without scolding and judgement and told him stories about his own forays to the surface and how he'd once been as active and adventurous as Lance until old age had prevented him from being part of active parties to the surface.   
  
Lance asked curious to know "Did you ever meet any humans, Abuelo?". The elderly man shook his head "No. When I was a young Borrower I was too fast, they never saw me. But I befriended their dog. A huge creature but very friendly. He would pick me up and carry me places on his back. What wonderful adventures we had" the old man's eyes misted over with memory. Lance nodded. He liked adventures too. But right now he was missing something else. Someone else specifically. A certain sickly human who had become his friend. He was concerned about Keith. Was he alright? Was he able to go outside like he'd been promised? Lance would have dearly loved to have taken that trip with him. To see those wonders of the human world. But most of all he just wanted to see Keith.  
  
After the third week when his fever had cleared and he was starting to be able to hobble weakly around with the aid of an old broken wooden knitting needle, the pointed tip snapped off and sanded down to make a walking cane, he went to the tunnels and found one of the mice had come to visit him. It was Plachu the slender mouse with a scruff of fur on his head that was almost similar to Lance's own bangs. He'd grown up alongside this mouse and considered him almost like a brother.  
  
Once they had gotten through the customary greetings the mouse began squeaking relaying a message. Apparently the large human had been spending a lot of time by the mouse-hole, just sitting and talking. The mice had kept themselves well hidden, but they'd heard a lot of things. Apparently Keith was getting sick, and didn't leave his room or his bed and the worse he got, the more upset the big human seemed to be. That he kept praying that whatever guardian spirit had attached itself to Keith would return and protect him again when he could not.  
  
Lance felt a pang of guilt in his gut. His absence was hurting Keith, he should have known the fragile human boy would have suffered from the stress of potentially never seeing Lance again. He HAD to see him again. But his family now watched him like a hawk. Even now he could feel the eyes of his brother Marco boring into the back of his head, watching him, daring him to try and do anything dangerous and escape from them again. Ugh! He loved them and appreciated that they cared for him but they could be so frustratingly blind! Keith was not a danger! And if what the mice had said about his older brother was true, then neither was he.  
  
He thanked Plachu for the message and sent the mouse on his way, but not before subtly whispering in a large ear for the mice to come again late that night. Lance would have to make a break for it and worry his family once more!  
  



	5. Sacrifice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lance returns to Keith's side only to be discovered by Shiro and learn the sad condition of his human friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Super angsty chapter with a cliffhanger because I'm evil, sorry and a buttload of Spanish. See end notes for translations for all the Spanish! I don't natively speak Spanish so my grammar is probably off.

When night fell Lance moved as quickly as he was capable. It was difficult to be discreet when you were hobbling with a walking cane, and he was frustrated by how slow he had to move to prevent waking his family up. Eventually he got out to the tunnels though and sure enough Platt was there waiting for him. Patting the broad shoulder of the mouse he climbed with difficulty onto his back clinging to the thick fur around his neck "Come on, lets go..." he murmured to the mouse  
  
" _Lance.... ¿a dónde vas, a esta hora?_ " a voice rang out, and his heart sank, turning to look back into the eyes of his twin sister replying in the same tongue " _No preguntes. Voy a donde debo_ ". The sound of his sister sighing sadly reached his ears " _Nunca fuiste realmente nuestro, ¿verdad? Siempre has pertenecido la mitad al viento y al mundo salvaje. Mi hermano vagabundo. Sabes que romperás el corazón de mamá. ¿Acaso te importa?_ "  
  
Lance bit his lip at the accusation. His sister knew how to hurt him. Of course he cared! He didn't want it to be either or. He didn't want to have to choose between his family and his first real friend. He closed his blue eyes unable to answer that question, turning back to the tunnel  
  
" _Idiota..._ " Rachel whispered after him and the young Borrower's heart broke further, nestling his head sadly into Platt's furry back to spill tears murmuring to himself " _No entiendes, hermana. Los amo a todos ustedes. No quiero lastimar a nadie. Pero no puedo dejarlo. No cuando él me necesita_ " but of course the words went unheard as the mouse plodded on down the tunnel away from his home. He'd made his choice. He would have to deal with the consequences of it.  
  
When he reached the mousehole he dismounted and checked the coast was clear. No Sendak thankfully. And no other humans. It was late and they were likely sleeping. He would have to get to Keith's room solo. But the distance for someone his size when walking was already a challenge was huge. He would have to undertake the mission though, he couldn't ask Platt anything more or to risk his life coming out of the hole into such dangerous territory for his sake. He had made this decision and he must see it through to the end!  
  
It took him far too long to reach Keith's door, the distance that would have been covered in a matter of seconds by human limbs, close to half an hour with his slow hobbling pace. He noticed the door had been left slightly ajar and was thankful as he didn't think he could squeeze under it without injuring himself further. Slipping through the gap he surveyed the scene.  
  
Keith's form was huddled in his bed, breathing sounding harsh and wet, like dampness had gotten into his lungs, his rasping wheezes punctuated by horrible wracking coughs that seemed to come almost from the bowels like a lifelong smoker with ruined lungs. He was so sick! It left Lance with a feeling of horror that his human friend had gotten so bad with just a week's absence.  
  
He hurriedly grabbed onto the bed-linens, using all the strength of his upper body to haul himself up onto the bed. After all the walking it was exhausting and when he reached the summit he collapsed on hands and knees breathing hard himself  "A little further Lance... come on... he needs you" he mentally coached himself and sat up. And froze.  
  
Somehow in his obsessive panic about Keith he'd completely failed to notice that he wasn't the only occupant in the room. There was a chair by the bed and the figure of the elder human that Keith had said was his brother was sitting by it. And he was staring straight at Lance, his grey eyes wide. Lance curled up hopelessly trying to shield his head and body with his arms, cringing in fear. It was over. It was all over. He'd been seen and the human would take him away. And he'd never be able to see Keith.  
  
A large hand reached out and scooped him up, the little body trembling and a low human voice, deafening to Lance's little eardrums but clearly speaking quite low and soft for a normal human, spoke to him "So... you ARE real... there really IS a little man under the floorboards?"  
  
Lance continued to tremble and really seemed afraid, what would this human do to him? He knew Keith was safe but did that extend to his family? Thinking of Keith fortified his mind however. He had come here for a reason and he had to continue his mission, despite the odds. Still shaking with fear he lifted his head blue eyes staring back at the human's face, chin jutting out defiantly "Yes I'm real! I have come for Keith!" he answered as strongly as he could in spite of the clear tremor of his voice.  
  
A low chuckle reached his ears "I understand why he likes you... you're quite a character. Brave too, to be risking these odds for him". Suddenly Lance was being set down gently on the bedside table close to Keith's sleeping face "What's your name?" the big human was asking. Lance turned his gaze from the sickly visage of his human friend who looked worryingly pale with deep dark almost bruise-like shadows under his eyes and replied "I'm Lance..."     
  
"Lance... and what exactly are you Lance? Why have you come for my brother? What do you plan to do with him?" the questions continued, the human's dark brows that were similar to Keith's furrowing in concern and seriousness.  
  
"I am his friend. I have come because he needed me. I plan only to stay by his side" he replied, giving the relevant information but refusing to spill Borrower secrets when he didn't know if he could trust this human or not. The human looked considering for a moment then nodded "I suppose that is enough for now. As long as you aren't some evil spirit come to take my brother's soul, because if you are, you can tell Death I'll fight him with my own hands to keep my brother safe on this world"  
  
Lance tilted his head at the human and his strange words. But he could feel the truth in them. That unmistakable vibe of a protective brother. It made him miss his own siblings even more. He'd just left them but he knew he would not be able to return any time soon or the next time they would imprison him forever.  
  
"I would NEVER hurt Keith" he replied with matching earnestness and the low chuckle returned "Alright then Lance, in that case I will trust you with my brother. It may be too late though... he is really sick, and he hasn't been eating, I fear his whole body might be shutting down. I wanted to take him to hospital but he would not allow me to move him, so I have had to call physicians out and they all say the same thing, that his body is giving up... that it's exhausted from fighting his sickness for so long and it's not able to handle infections the way it used to..." he broke off then, with a look of pain in those grey eyes ringed with dark shadows also from lack of sleep of many nights worrying, tears building in the corners and spilling "I just wanted to keep my brother safe... but I failed... I failed..."  
  
Lance knew then the impact of a family worrying for one of their own. How much his parents and siblings would be grieving tomorrow when they woke up and knew he was gone and might never come back. He felt his own eyes fill with tears, climbing onto the pillow beside Keith and putting a small brown hand against the fever flushed but otherwise paper-white skin of the young human, closing his eyes and uttering a soft prayer  
  
" _Dios. Si realmente nos cuidas a todos, protege las almas de aquellos que no han hecho nada malo. Alejalos del dolor y de la muerte. Permítales volverse fuertes y vivir una vida de libertad y paz. Por favor. Lo que sea que deba sacrificar para que esto suceda, lo doy voluntariamente. Déjame tomar la mitad de su carga._ "

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Spanish translations:
> 
> Lance.... ¿a dónde vas, a esta hora? = Lance... where are you going at this hour?
> 
> No preguntes. Voy a donde debo = Don't ask. I go where I must.
> 
> Nunca fuiste realmente nuestro, ¿verdad? Siempre has pertenecido la mitad al viento y al mundo salvaje. Mi hermano vagabundo. Sabes que romperás el corazón de mamá. ¿Acaso te importa? = You were never really ours, were you? You've always belonged half to the wind and to the wilderness. My roaming brother. You know you will break Mom's heart. Do you even care?
> 
> No entiendes, hermana. Los amo a todos ustedes. No quiero lastimar a nadie. Pero no puedo dejarlo. No cuando él me necesita = You don't understand, sister. I love all of you. I don't want to hurt anyone. But I can't leave him. Not when he needs me.
> 
> Dios. Si realmente nos cuidas a todos, protege las almas de aquellos que no han hecho nada malo. Alejalos del dolor y de la muerte. Permítales volverse fuertes y vivir una vida de libertad y paz. Por favor. Lo que sea que deba sacrificar para que esto suceda, lo doy voluntariamente. Déjame tomar la mitad de su carga. = God. If you really watch over all of us, protect the souls of those who have done no wrong. Keep them from pain and death. Let them become strong and live a life of freedom and peace. Please. Whatever I must sacrifice for this to succeed I give it freely. Let me take half of his burden.


	6. Salvation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> All seems lost for Keith's recovery until Lance recalls an old myth of the Borrower people that might help him to pull through.
> 
> Warning: DRAMATIC AF!!!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so I know I recently updated this fic, but the cliffhanger I left it on apparently was too much for the fans of this fic and I was requested to update this fic again after holding a poll for which one to update. So here you are a resolution of the dramangst from last chapter!
> 
> I originally planned on having Lance's wish turn Keith into a Borrower so they could be together but then I thought human doctors had seen Keith as well as neighbours and if he suddenly disappeared it would look suspicious on poor Shiro and he might get accused of murdering him or some such shit so I couldn't do that. Therefore the best resolution I could pull from my ass was a gradual return to recovery/ jump-starting Keith's car battery/immune system.
> 
> I know I know. Most existing Borrower lore doesn't say anything about them granting wishes and especially not healing sick people. If they could do that Arrietty probably wouldn't have left Sho still sick when she ran off with her parents and Spiller. But at this point I had angsted so much there wasn't a whole lot of alternatives. I could either mess with the plotline to save Keith or continue and have him die off and that would mean a tragic ending which I hate and can't bring myself to do to Klance.
> 
> Anyway... Next chapter I'm hoping to focus on a little Adashi bonding time because so far Adam's virtually been a background character and not had anywhere near enough focus. Also hopefully Lance will address the issue with his family.

Lance stayed by Keith's side, resting on his pillow, small hand warm in contact with the sweaty clammy feverish face. At first he kept watchful vigil, but eventually he drifted into sleep, still exhausted from his own lingering vulnerabilities from getting injured.  
  
He slipped into dreams. In his dream he was running and he had Keith with him, but Keith was now his size, a Borrower like he was, dressed in red that complemented his blue clothes. They were running and holding hands. Sendak was chasing him but the cat was slower and hopelessly unable to catch up, as if together they were unlimited. Faster. Stronger. Better. As if together nothing could stand in their way. Laughing and poking fun at the cats clumsiness they made it to freedom and sat together, flushed from the effort but knowing they were safe. They were together. As long as they were together they were invincible.  
  
Lance woke to sunlight slanting across the bed brightly. Cruel reality greeted him. Keith was sleeping beside him but he was not a Borrower. He was still Human and still sick. Lance sighed and closed his eyes, feeling the pang of sorrow in his heart that his prayer had gone unanswered. That there were no Borrower Gods to grant his wish and his voice was too small to reach the Human's God.  
  
"Keith..." he whispered sadly, tears running down his face and dripping onto the human's flushed face "Please... keep fighting... you can't give up.... I... I need you... your brother needs you... please come back to us" his brown fingers curling into a fist, that fist tightening as Keith continued to lie dormant and unresponsive. The fingers curled until they began to hurt the small boy, his palms bleeding a little from the pressure of his fingernails embedded in them.  
  
Shiro awoke and saw the scene sighing that the miracle they'd both prayed for hadn't come. That even this supernatural being that shouldn't exist was unable to save his brother. "It truly is hopeless then..." he spoke, startling Lance who turned to look at him small face streaked with tears, sobbing "I'm sorry... it's my fault... if I hadn't gotten injured he wouldn't have given up...."  
  
Shiro bit his lip to prevent the urge to cry himself, heart already sore and bruised from enduring a lifetime watching his younger brother suffer and being unable to help him, but now knowing there was another innocent young child in pain because of this... he reached out a large finger to gently rub the top of the tiny Borrower's head "No Lance... it's not your fault. Keith has always been sick. We always knew his time on this Earth was limited. But you made him really happy for a time and brought joy to this family. For that I can only ever be immensely thankful. And I'll keep your secret if you want to return to your family. It's what Keith would have wanted..."  
  
Lance shook his head sobbing harder "No... n-not yet... I w-won't leave... w-whilst he's s-s-still alive... I'll s-stay... stay w-with him...". He didn't care if it was hopeless. He wouldn't leave Keith alone. Even if it put him in a state of pain worse than any physical injury he'd ever endured. It was the least he could do to repay the debt he owed this family.  
  
Something about that thought struck a chord in him like someone striking a surface with a tuning fork. Debt. He owed them a debt. Something about that his Abuelo had always told him when he was a child. Why couldn't he remember?! He closed his eyes trying to envision his elderly relative, and the stories he told. They were many and varied and he forgot some of the details. But hadn't he said something about some Legend of the Borrowers? That when they moved on from a dwelling if the humans there had treated them well and not harmed them a charm or wish could be granted? Something about 'repaying the debt'?  
  
His eyes opened, clambering to his feet so hurriedly his injured leg sent a painful pang up the limb and caused him to stumble and roll down onto the comforter. He ignored that ache and scrambled to call to the large human who had risen finally from his bedside vigil with a lost and hopeless look on his exhausted drawn features. What had Keith said his name was again? Shiro?  
  
"Shiro! Hey! Wait! Please!" he called as loud as he could drawing breath enough to fill his tiny lungs. The human stopped in the doorway, frowning and retraced his steps to the bed "What is it Lance?" he asked thinking perhaps the little creature had changed his mind and wanted help getting down off the bed. He didn't blame him. Who would want to watch someone close to them slowly dying in the most horrible painful way imaginable?  
  
"I think... I think there might be something I could do for Keith. There's a legend amongst our people... a myth but if it's true it might help... there's a chance..." Lance faltered, hating the uncertainty in his voice, how could he convince Shiro to trust him and believe in him if he couldn't even believe in himself? Shiro however immediately knelt beside the bed, large face getting in Lance's with an urgent desperate expression "Yes... anything you can do, please do it... even if it's only a slight chance... I need to save him"  
  
"Well there's a myth that when a Borrower leaves a human dwelling we can grant good and kind humans who have taken care of us well, a boon of sorts. Some sort of good luck charm or wish perhaps. Kinda like repaying the debt. I'm not sure how it works or if it will even work with the Borrowers not leaving and thus the relationship not ended. Not to mention my family haven't agreed to it or even know I'm fraternizing with Humans... But maybe... if you made a wish..."  
  
"A Borrower? That's what you are? Wait that's not important right now Takashi... Yes... yes do I just tell you my wish? Is there something else we have to do?" the large human in spite of being an adult was fumbling his words like an overexcited child, clearly so eager to try anything that might help. Lance felt terrified of the consequences if his 'one chance' turned out to be nothing. He cast his mind back to his Abuelo telling him that story, trying to imagine as if he were there, hearing it for the first time. After a moment he spoke "We have to make contact with each other, and with Keith. You could hold me in your palm and I'll touch him. Then we both have to focus our thoughts to Keith, and you say the wish and I then say 'The debt has been paid'" he commented quietly, looking to Shiro nervously hoping and praying that was right and he hadn't forgotten any crucial detail.  
  
Shiro's hand reached to pluck Lance from the bed. He was stressed and anxious so his grip was a little uncomfortably tight but Lance resisted complaining and reached out with both hands to Keith's forehead, focusing everything in his heart, mind and soul. Tuning his essence like the vibrations of that tuning fork he had previously imagined, like waves of sound passing through the molecules that made Keith up. He felt Shiro grasp his brother's wrist at the pulse point with his free hand, so they were all in connection with each other like a living organic magic circle of sorts.  
  
"Now think about your wish and speak it aloud" Lance prompted the older human. Shiro swallowed loudly with nerves but nodded his head, brow furrowing as he concentrated as hard as he could "I wish for my brother to live a healthy and happy life in a body that can support him" he spoke aloud.  
  
Lance felt the impact of each syllable pass through him into Keith, almost forgetting his prompt, so emotionally moved by the wish. He cleared his throat uttering "The debt has been paid" and then waited with baited breath, internally praying and praying for success.  
  
At first he had a sinking feeling that nothing was happening, but then he felt the warmth of Keith's face gradually dissipating, and heard a weak croak that signified the human boy was waking up. He opened his eyes seeing Keith's dark-ringed violet eyes were open a crack, trying to make sense of his surroundings. He looked at Lance's small face, taking in the brown skin, freckles like constellations and bright eyes and his dehydrated and cracked lips parted tiredly into a faint smile, hoarsely whispering "Y-y-you...c-came... came b-b-back...". Lance bit his lip to suppress a sob of relief "Yes! I'm here... we're here, your brother and I... we did all we could to stop you leaving us..."  
  
Keith's eyelids flickered, clearly struggling to stay open, evidently still exhausted "Shiro... found you? S-s-sorry... I didn't.... k-keep your... s-s-secret..." he breathed faintly. Lance shook his head caressing the pale cheek relieved to see some of the violent red flush was dissipating and colour was returning gradually to the paper-white skin, making Keith look less like he was a corpse and more like he was a living person again. Hopefully looks weren't deceiving and he would continue to recover!  
  
"Keith it's okay... if you're okay it's all worth it. When I thought I would lose you..." he bit his lip, blue eyes filling with tears "Never scare me like that again, okay?".  "Don't mean to break up the adorable reunion but that goes double for me" Shiro interrupted then, reaching his hand to gently ruffle his little brother's hair "Are you back with us now?" he asked worriedly  
  
Keith coughed a little and nodded "I... feel like crap still... but I think I'm... anchored now..." he looked at Lance's small face, not wanting to say that when he'd been drifting in the limbo of fever close to death, the thing that had pulled him back was Lance's touch. Lance's voice. Lance's thoughts reaching out to him. His pain and longing.  
  
Shiro sank back into the chair by the bedside exhaling deeply honestly feeling like everything in him had been extracted painfully in one go. He was exhausted and in dire need of rest, he hadn't been sleeping properly during this fiasco and it showed, his face almost as much of a wreck as Keith's. The younger boy managed to return the squeeze on the hand holding his "Thanks... brother... for staying with me... for supporting Lance and not trying to keep him away... I underestimated you... I'm sorry"  
  
"You can make it up to me, by resting and getting better and not putting me through stress like this again" the elder male responded rubbing his eyes with the balls of his palms "I need to sleep for a thousand years myself... I miss sleeping with and cuddling Adam. You know how hard its been trying to keep him at arm's length so he wouldn't discover anything about this whole Borrower thing? I hated keeping secrets from him... but I couldn't risk anything interfering... maybe I'll tell him..." he sighed, thinking the decision over half to himself but aloud.  
  
Lance crawled to nestle up against Keith's neck, feeling wiped himself though they'd literally just woken up "You can tell him if you think he'll keep the secret safe. But please don't mention my family, and don't let anyone else outside know ever. That's all I ask. I want to keep my family safe, even though I can't return to them..."  
  
He sounded a little sad and Shiro sat forward frowning "Lance, you can't abandon your family forever... I'm happy you came back and helped me save Keith but they'll be worrying about you. You can't let them suffer like that. You need to let them know the situation. I'm happy to make arrangements for however many there are of your kind living in this house. We can make sure Sendak is cared for elsewhere so he no longer puts you at risk, you don't have to live in secrecy... we could coincide peacefully..."  
  
Lance sighed "I wish that were possible... but my family are traditional... I'm not sure they'd accept living alongside humans... they're too used to a life of fear and hiding... but I'll try to send them a message to let them know I'm safe at least" he replied tiredly but with a hopeless sort of finality, not having much faith in his family accepting his choices. Much less if they discovered he'd granted a boon to a human and 2 potentially soon 3 humans knew about their existence. If he knew his parents the moment they discovered that truth they would be packing up everything and fleeing the house in terror. They wouldn't believe that humans could ever be safe.


	7. Trust in Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shiro finally confesses the truth about Lance to Adam and a conversation ensues.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First of all pardon the week hiatus on all my fics. I was having a creative drain and then I got distracted by She-Ra but I'm here now and ready to update.
> 
> Secondly this chapter was difficult for me to write because I've never been particularly good at characterizing Adam. I wanted him to be something more than just a Background character, because he deserves better after the shit he went through in canon on the show. I hope I at least partially did him justice here? I like to imagine that Shiro and Adam are both sensible serious responsible adults on their own, but when they're together they poke fun at each other and act soft and like silly giggly little boys
> 
> I was planning on making this chapter also include Lance talking to his family but I don't have the brain for that right now, so it's postponed for a later chapter. This means this chapter is a smidge shorter than usual.

Shiro returned to the bedroom he shared with Adam after ensuring both the boys were securely sleeping and there was some sort of alert in place in the event Keith suddenly took another turn for the worse, though he was hoping and praying they were past that stage now thanks to Lance's assistance.  
  
He crept quietly into the room expecting his partner to be asleep, but the other male was sitting up with a book, looking like he'd not slept much either. A tawny brow rose when he spied Shiro, questioning softly "Takashi? It's unusual for you to come back in here... is Keith alright?" and Shiro flinched in guilt. It was UNUSUAL for him to come in and spend time in the bedroom with his BOYFRIEND. Gods above he'd really been neglecting his poor partner and Adam like the saint he was had been nothing but tolerant and patient throughout.  
  
He tried to find his voice, finding exhaustion had sapped his strength so he could only whisper softly "He... he's doing better...". Adam nodded some of the concern lifting from his features, patting the vacant side of the bed "You should get some rest then, whilst you have the chance". Shiro could only nod as he moved to the bed and sat on the edge. His brain was yelling at him 'Don't you dare just sleep. You owe him an explanation, an apology, thanks and so much more!' but his body was resisting because he was so sleep-deprived.   
  
This resulted in a sort of zombie-like semi-alertness where he was conscious but sort of zoned out and not really focusing on anything. Adam's hand on his shoulder made him half jump out of his skin, the probing question in his name "Takashi?" sounding once more and just breaking down the last of the other man's willpower. He tensed his shoulders and Adam continued "Something's wrong isn't it? You were always stilted when it came to talking about yourself and your needs and your problems.... but we promised when we got into this we'd tell each other everything and keep no secrets right? That we'd try to support each other through the problems? So trust me Takashi, please... let me help you if you need help..."  
  
Sure. Because he wasn't already feeling guilty enough? Now he had to think about how he had been keeping secrets and not trusting in his partner. He blew out a long deep breath and let any bitterness and resentment that fueled those sorts of thoughts go. It wasn't Adam's fault. It was never Adam's fault. He had to just stop repressing and let it out. This was why he'd come here wasn't it?  
  
"Adam... I do have to tell you something, but I need you to take me seriously no matter how absurd it sounds okay?" he began nervously, his grey eyes seeking out the honey-gold ones. Adam's brow furrowed as if wondering what sort of mess Shiro had gotten himself into this time, but he nodded "Tell me"  
  
Shiro exhaled and began to explain about Keith's condition, and Lance. When he got to mentioning the little Borrower, Adam's brows clearly began to climb higher on his face and his mouth took on a slightly skeptical twist, but he kept it shut thankfully until Shiro was through, then he looked at his partner gaugingly  
  
"Takashi... I don't want to cast doubt on the veracity of your story, but you must admit from my perspective it does sound rather far fetched.... Little people under the floorboards? Magical miracle cures? Are you sure you didn't just fall asleep and dream it happened?". Shiro exhaled "I knew you'd say that, that's why I was reluctant to say anything. But it's true really. I'm not crazy or sleep-deprived or stressed or... well okay maybe I am all those things but even so this is true! I can show you. He's in Keith's room right now sleeping with him!"  
  
He made a move to jerk upright from the bed, trembling with a mixture of exhaustion but also irritation that the other hadn't believed him after he'd put his trust in him to tell him the truth and let his secrets out. Adam frowned, his expression clearly regretting that he'd hurt the other's feelings, but his logical brain struggling to accept something so fantastical as the tale he'd been told.  
  
"Alright" he eventually said in a calm level voice "It's against my better judgement but... I trust you Takashi... so show me this little person in Keith's room". The grey-eyes which had been distressed flickered back to the gold ones and Shiro exhaled once more, trying to calm his breathing and lower his agitation. Adam was giving him a chance. Most likely only because he cared about him. But a chance was better than nothing. Adam would have to believe after he saw.  
  
Shiro's body protested being forced to get up again when all it wanted was to just collapse on the mattress and sleep, but he rose and crept quietly down the hall followed by his partner, reaching Keith's door and very quietly opening it. Not wanting to disturb the sleeping boys within.   
  
He came to the bed and looked down, Keith was peacefully sleeping now and looking much better already, a lot of his colour had returned to his face and even the horrible dark circles around his eyes had lightened a few degrees, though it would probably take him a while to get back to looking remotely healthy, not that he'd ever really looked the picture of health. Curled next to his head on the pillow arms wrapped in an embrace around Keith's finger was the tiny form of Lance, lightly snoring, his injured leg tucked up close to his body  
  
Shiro glanced to Adam to see his reaction, amused to see the golden eyes had widened like saucers and the other was mumbling "This... this can't be real... it has to be some sort of prank..." half to himself. He nudged his boyfriend with his shoulder "Cmon Mr Rational, even you know better than to think like that. Seeing is believing isn't it? You know for a hoax to be this realistic it would have required so much set-up as to be impossible to hide from you for this long. He's real. But if it helps, seeing him the first time blew my mind too" he chuckled softly.  
  
Lance murmured sleepily, mumbling and rolled over, the motion making Adam startle a little, gaping in wonder as the small brown face stretched in a yawn, sleepy blue eyes blinking openly blearily, rubbing at the miniature orbs with small fists "Sh-Shiro? Is s-something wrong? Mmhhh I thought you went to bed?" he sat up groggily  
  
Shiro smiled at the little being "Sorry Lance, didn't mean to wake you. Someone wouldn't believe me unless I showed him" he gestured to Adam who was still making goldfish faces with surprise "Adam this is Lance. Lance, Adam" he introduced them humorously, nudging Adam again to get him to speak.  
  
"Ahhh..uh..umm.. h... hi?" Adam fumbled which made Shiro snort harder in amusement. God his boyfriend was adorable when he was being awkward like this. Lance blinked a little surprised himself, coiling his limbs close to his body a little defensively but shyly remarking "Hullo..." with a small wave  
  
"WHAT are you?" , "I'm a boy?" , "But you're so small..." , "And you're big, your point is?" , "Yes but I mean what species are you... you're clearly not human?" , "I'm a Borrower. But I can't really say beyond that" the conversation continued this way back and forth with questions until Shiro tugged on his partner's arm "Adam... we should let them sleep. We can do proper introductions in the morning. Sorry to disturb you Lance, go back to sleep"   
  
Lance nodded settling back down without argument. He was exhausted and he'd need lots of rest if his leg was ever going to heal properly. Adam sighed reluctantly. He really wanted to ask more questions. He felt like a kid that had just discovered that Santa Claus & the Easter Bunny were real and actually there in his house, as he and Shiro made their way back to the bedroom he chattered excitedly "I always thought it was strange how much Keith kept talking to himself, and his fixation with sitting by that mouse-hole... is that where they're all hidden? Is there more Shiro? Gods! Little people! I want to see more!"   
  
Shiro laughed "Calm down, babe. There'll be plenty of time for explanations later. Now can we PLEASE sleep because honestly I'm dying here!" , "Takashi!! You're killing me! You can't drop a bombshell like this on me and expect me to just be like 'Okay fine lets sleep!'. I NEED to know more!" , "You will I promise, I'll tell you everything I know and maybe Lance will tell you a little more. But for the love of all that's holy rest now please" , "Uff! Fine!" Adam pouted like a child that's been told to go to bed early which made Shiro snicker more and lean to kiss his cheek. That softened the pout. It had been too long since either of them had been intimate. Somehow caring for Keith had always gotten in the way.  
  
"I'll wait till the morning. But only if you give me another kiss like that" he bargained with an impish grin a sparkle in those golden eyes as they settled on the bed. Shiro rolled his eyes and grabbed hold of the other's shirt "Come here then Doofus!" and with that they rolled into bed and under the covers


	8. Bonding Moment

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith wakes up fully and he and Lance share an intimate bonding moment together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short little update because I'm inspiration challenged right now. Hopefully next chapter I'll have more Adashi interactions and maybe finally address the Lance family issue, but working out how to write that is tough!

Keith awoke the next morning slowly somewhat groggily, rubbing his eyes. The past few days he'd been feeling terrible, too weak to move and in constant pain, but today his mind felt clearer and the heavy weighing pressure of his sickness seemed to have lifted. He sat up, noticing the tiny form of Lance sleeping on his pillow and a soft smile graced his lips, carefully lifting the sleeping Borrower murmuring "You stayed with me... thank you" with genuine happiness and gratitude in his tone.  
  
Lance murmured drowsily halfway between sleep and waking and Keith gently rubbed the top of his head with its soft hair with his fingertip, the caresses eventually making blue eyes open sleepily. He yawned and blinked up at the large human face before him, smiling as he recognized his friend "Keith... you're awake... do you feel any better?"  
  
Keith nodded "Yes much... I think my fever's gone down and I feel stronger..." his stomach gurgled loudly then and he blushed "I think I might even have an appetite". Lance sat up with a giggle poking his own empty belly "I second that notion!"  
  
Keith tried to get out of bed then before Lance could stop him, but he was still a little weak on his feet from having not used his legs in so long and he stumbled grabbing onto the dresser to support himself. Lance flustered from his position on Keith's shoulder "You're so reckless! You were just deathly ill yesterday! You should stay in bed!"  
  
Keith pouted stubbornly "Don't wanna. Besides I gotta use the bathroom" he remarked which made Lance blush and shut up for a few minutes not wanting to imagine the sorts of intimate things people did in bathrooms and which he should not be witness to.   
  
"Fine but take it slow, support your weight, small steps!" he coached him with a sigh and an eye-roll. Keith grinned and sloppily mock-saluted him  with his free hand. It took them nearly 10 minutes but eventually Keith got into the bathroom and put Lance down on the basin, where the Borrower promptly turned around blushing to put his back to Keith whilst he did what he came to do.   
  
Keith was aware he was gross and sweaty from being feverish and staying in bed for a week and winced when he caught the scent of his own body odour "Gotta shower..." he murmured beginning to strip off. Lance flustered more "Wait Keith! Are you sure that's safe! What if you fall!" he turned around to address the other boy and got an eyeful of naked human booty. The poor boy nearly had a heart attack, turning red as a tomato practically head to toe and covering his eyes with his hands moaning "Keeeeeeeeeeeeeith!"   
  
The human laughed at his shy friend "Come on, we're both guys, whats to be shy about? Granted you're only like 6 inches tall but still you don't have anything I don't have, do you?" He was kneeling by the tub now to take the strain off his legs and turned on the faucet, carefully clambering into the tub and sitting in the bottom. Lance remained on the basin trembling and blushing and trying not to look. Keith gave a devilish grin  
  
"You know now that I think of it, you're pretty dirty too, crawling about under the floorboards and riding on mice and stuff. You better clean up too or you might infect me" he spoke. Lance looked up at the cunning face of the human boy and began waving his arms "No. No no nope. Absolutely not. You are not getting me in there". Keith's hand snaked out and grabbed Lance not roughly or too tight but in a way that he couldn't escape.  
  
"Stop being such a baby" he reprimanded as he tugged him under the spray. Lance now dripping wet glowered at him "I should have left you sick" but of course he didn't mean that and Keith knew he didn't. Setting the boy down so he could escape if he really wanted to, he was surprised and comforted when Lance grumbling started to pull his tiny clothes off and set them aside. He really was just like a human, brown skin covering his tiny body.   
  
Lance covered his modesty and blushed "Stop staring at me like that!" he reprimanded with a pout. Keith scratched his neck looking sheepish "Sorry, it just really fascinates me. You're so small, and yet you're just like a human" he remarked. Lance sniffed primly and remarked "I'm better looking than a mere human" which earned him a poke from the other boy   
  
"Oi, rude. Are you saying I'm ugly" Keith challenged him, leaning in to mock bare his teeth in a false playful challenge. Lance sized him up and shot back with a teasing grin "Yup. Hideous. So big. And that hair. Ugh!"   
  
Keith grabbed his wet hair pouting "What's wrong with my hair?" he protested. Lance rolled his eyes "Where do you want me to start? It's like you have some strange growth coming out the back of your neck. Or an animal. A dead animal". Keith plucked the little being up again at that and dunked him under the spray once more as punishment for his words. Lance emerged spitting water and narrowed his blue eyes at the human. But he couldn't maintain the glare because Keith's face with its violet eyes and long lashes were filling his view and he started blushing again.  
  
He was a terrible liar. Keith wasn't ugly at all. He was extremely handsome for a human and Lance couldn't quite explain the way his heart pounded in his chest whenever he looked too closely at him, averting his gaze and coughing awkwardly he remarked quietly "Could you put me down now please... it's not really comfortable for me to be grabbed when I'm naked"  
  
Keith seemed to realize then that he was touching a nude Lance and blushed himself setting the other back down quickly and scooting around so his back was to the other to finish washing up in silence. When he was done he turned off the water and found a small dry face flannel for Lance to use as a towel, reaching for his own and awkwardly clambering back out of the tub the two sitting and drying off in awkward silence for some minutes.   
  
After a while Keith spoke "I'm sorry... I went too far... I just.... I'm not used to interacting with people, you're the only friend I've ever had apart from my brother. I've always been alone until I met you..." he sounded soft and wistful almost sad and Lance tried to imagine being totally alone for your entire childhood. He'd had so many siblings that he'd never felt alone even when he hadn't really made any friends outside his family, but Keith's existence must have been so lonely!  
  
"It's okay Keith, I'm not mad at you, and I'm sorry too that I said mean things, even if they were meant as a joke. You're not weird or ugly. You're really nice. You're a good human. The best human" he spoke gently and Keith turned to look at him seeing the sincerity in his blue eyes and getting that soft look again on his face   
  
"I'm really happy you're my friend Lance, I'm happy you came back for me and you saved me, and you stayed with me. Sometimes it feels like I'm living a miracle. A dream and it makes me scared to go to sleep in case I wake up and find out none of it was real. That I'm still all alone"   
  
Keith sounded so vulnerable that Lance wished he was big enough to hug his friend and tell him it would be alright now and he'd never leave his side. But he still hadn't spoken to his family. He still hadn't had that conversation with them. He might have to choose between Keith and his family and both options were going to break his heart. If only there was a way to convince them that Keith and his family were safe. They were good humans who wouldn't hurt them. He would have to think of a way because he didn't think he could leave Keith now. The boy depended on him too much.


End file.
